A Kingdom Hearts LockDown
by livingstorywriter101
Summary: So my school's been put into lock-down and I'm running from Organization XIII. Sounds exciting right? 'Course it is! Sounds cool too, huh? It isn't. My summaries suck, please give it a chance!
1. Chapter 1

The idea of actually doing my math was growing more and more inviting to me as I sat in my desk, close to falling asleep, though I had the strangest feeling that math wouldn't be all that important soon. I looked over at my friend, Shawn, to see any inclination that he was sharing the feeling of foreboding. But, alas, he was working, with a look of concentration, on his math. I decided to follow his good example and work on my math too, though the feeling kept nagging at me.

A wave of nausea swept over me as a bell started ringing over the intercom. I looked at the clock and saw that class wouldn't end for another ten minutes. And, yet, the bell kept ringing, loudly and distinctly, over the intercom. Something wasn't right, that much was obvious. I looked towards my math teacher, Mr. Poindexter, whom was closing the blinds and locking the doors, the proper procedure for a lockdown.

I looked over at Shawn with a worried expression and looked back with a confused expression of his own. The people behind me had stopped their talking and, when I looked back, appeared to be looking around with confusion. I looked back at Mr. Poindexter as he cleared his throat to get out attention. His expression was blank and unreadable expression, as usual, as he spoke. "No one panic, just do what we're supposed to do in the case of an emergency lockdown," he said in his usual monotone voice, making it seem like he thought it was just a drill, though it didn't feel like one.

We all did as we were told to and were, soon, sitting against an area of a wall that couldn't be seen from the windows and door, me under a lab table while Shawn sat beside the table, on his walker, so we could talk quietly, in an attempt to not get into trouble. "What'd you think is going on?" Shawn whispered as Mr. Poindexter turned off the lights and sat on the other side of the wall.

"I have no idea, but something seems… I don't know… really out of place I suppose," I whispered back.

I felt my heart stop suddenly as the doorknob, to the classroom, started jiggling with such force that the whole door shook. I whimpered quietly, feeling as though something horrible was outside it. "Shhh!" everyone shushed me, though it didn't help in the least.

The door suddenly stopped shaking as I notice that I was holding my breath. I quickly attempted to regulate my breathing but it soon turned into hyperventilating as a dark portal appeared in the already somewhat dark room. A tall, thin, somewhat masculine looking person in a black, hooded cloak stepped out of the portal and looked around at us. I couldn't really make out the person's face because of the hood covering it but, when the person spoke, the voice was deep and masculine enough to re-enforce my thoughts that it was a man in the cloak. "Which one of you is Marissa?" he asked causing me to stiffen up.

My eyes widened as I looked around at my classmates. I could only hope none of them would rat me out to the man. "Who wants to know?"

I looked in shock as one of the students I didn't particularly get along with spoke up. The man lightly chuckled before responding. "Who I am is no concern of yours. Now tell me, which one of you is Marissa?" I looked at my classmates with a pleading expression and, to my surprise, they all remained silent. The man waited for a minute or two before walking towards us. "Fine, if you won't tell me, I'll find her myself." He began inspecting each student and was soon to Shawn. I quickly covered my face with my hair, hoping he wouldn't even see me. Once he finished examining Shawn the man stood up, from his semi crouched position, to his full height, which was quite tall, and walked around to the other side of the table I was under. He then bent down and looked at me, a couple strands of pink hair escaping the darkness of his hood. I suddenly found myself looking right at him because of the sudden appearance of, what felt like, vines holding my face up so he could examine it. "Good," he said after a few seconds.

The man quickly grabbed my arm and forced me out from under the table as another dark portal suddenly appeared. "H-hey!" I yelled as he began dragging me towards the portal.

"Hey… um… I can't just let you take a student!" Mr. Poindexter chimed in as I began struggling.

The man let out a slight chuckle. "And what are you going to do about it?" he asked as he turned around and made it so I was pushed against the wall by more vines. He held his arm out with an open hand for the scythe that suddenly appeared in it. I stared in fear as I struggled to get out of the vines while Mr. Poindexter looked at the scythe with an expression of contemplation and panic. He stammered a bit before backing off and sitting back down. "I thought so," the man said before grabbing me and pushing me into the portal.

I looked around with fear before noticing that the inside of the portal somehow looked very familiar to me. When I really thought about it, the man seemed somewhat familiar too. Not in an _I know him personally _way but more of an I've seen him somewhere or in something before way. It was mostly the cloak, the whole vine/scythe thing, and the dark portals for transportation. I wanted to think about it more but the urgency of escaping seemed more important at the moment so I quickly started running away from the portal, hoping to find somewhere safe. I looked back and saw that the man wasn't even following me. He was just standing there with his arms outstretched towards me. I stopped running and looked at him with confusion. The ground suddenly began shaking beneath me, causing me to fall over, as vines broke through the ground in front of me.

My eyes widened as I backed away from the vines, though I soon found it impossible to continue backing away from the sudden movement of the vines. "Hey!" I cried out, in a panic, as they wrapped themselves around me and lifted me into the air. "Put me down!"

The man silently walked towards me as I struggled to get out of the plants that were restraining me. "Did you really think you could escape me that easily?" he asked with a smug, arrogant even, tone to his voice.

I looked at the man with a mixture of fear and confusion as I continued to struggle. "Well, considering I don't even know who you are I couldn't really have an assumption, just a hope," I responded in the calmest and most nonchalant voice I could produce.

The man laughed as he removed his hood, revealing s very handsome face with two, bright, blue eyes and feathery pink hair. He looked really familiar but I just couldn't place who he was. "Don't know me? I find that very hard to believe Marissa. "

"You do look very familiar," I muttered quietly as I tried to place his face. Something in my mind suddenly clicked as I looked at the vines wrapped around me and the scythe in his hand. "Mar-Marluxia?" I asked in shock.

The man smirked and nodded. "Very good," he said as he made the vines wrap around me tighter.

I gasped and tried to struggle enough to make them loosen as I spoke. "But that's not possible! This must be a dream or something!"

"And why is that?" Marluxia asked as the vines loosened enough to let me breath with a bit more ease.

"Well… as much as I hate to admit it, you and everything you know isn't actually real. It's all part of a fictional video game. An awesome video game, but a fictional one all the same," I explained.

"A video game? Interesting. Is that what these are about then?" Marluxia said as he pulled out a copy of each Kingdom Hearts game, and even my copy of Crisis Core, from his cloak.

My copies in fact. The only indicator to that was the cover I had had to make for the first on since my brother had lost the original box to it. "Yea… you don't actually have anything to do with Crisis Core. Some of the characters in it are if the games you're in though. But… why do you have all my games?" I said with a confused expression, not feeling nearly as scared as before.

I felt more confused and curious than anything else at that point. "They were by when we appeared in, what I'm assuming is, your room," Marluxia replied with a casual tone as he examined the box of Re:Chain Of Memories. "Tell me, why is it that I'm on the back of this game but on none of the other games?"

"Well… aside from the regular Chain of Memories and a little bit of 358/2 Days you're not actually in an of the others at this point…" I said, not wanting to tell him why.

"And why is that? I'm just as, if not more, important as all the other members!" Marluxia exclaimed, looking more than pissed off at the news he'd been told.

"Well… um… I'd rather not say…" I said quietly as I looked away.

"Tell me!" Marluxia said angrily as the vines squeezed so tightly that I could barely breathe and, in a few swift movements, made it so I was looking directly at him.

I gasped with fear, remembering that Marluxia was a villain and to top it off he didn't have a heart. So, according to Ansem the Wise, he had no emotion and would, most likely, have no problem killing me off at a moment's notice. But it didn't seem to me that he didn't have emotions. I wondered how anyone could even consider Nobodies not having emotions with how angry he appeared to be. "W-well, you-you see, you sort of…" I gasped in an attempt to get Marluxia to loosen the vines. "You… you fade."

"I what?" Marluxia asked with a shocked expression as the vines loosened enough to drop me onto the ground.

"You fade into darkness… but you're not the only one that does in that game if it makes you feel any better…" I muttered as I landed and began backing away.

I gasped as I bumped into someone. I looked back and saw another hooded figure.

**(So that's the beginning... yep... I do have a reason for why I wrote this story! My school had a lockdown drill recently and once it was over one of my friends and I started talking, We constantly talk about Kingdom Hearts and the Final Fantasy characters in the story so we got on the subject of what could happen if the school went into lockdown because Sephiroth and Organization XIII invaded the school. We both agreed that, despite the danger of that type of situation, it would be pretty cool so he asked me to start writing a story about it. Other friends found out about the story and a few wanted to be included in it. So, all in all, this is a story I'm writing for fun and to entertain some friends. Yes, different Kingdom Hearts, Disney, and (most likely only) FF7(this includes Crisis Core) will appear in the story. I have 40 or so pages written up so far so I need to transfer them from printed word to typed on the computer. But I hope if anyone reads what I have so far will find it somewhat amusing! Believe me, it gets some good, yet stupid, laughs later on.)**


	2. Chapter 2

I quickly turned and began backing away a few steps, only to be wrapped in vines again. I began screaming, feeling very scared again. The vines quickly wrapped themselves around my mouth, silencing me almost completely. "How intriguing… she knows our fates. This could prove most useful in stopping the unwanted ones from happening and making them work out the way we want them to," the figure, whom was also obviously a male, said.

"Mmm-mmph!" I cried out with a scared yet angry tone, though the vines muffled it enough that Marluxia and the other Organization member took no notice to it what-so-ever.

I struggled as the hooded figure walked towards me with, to my surprise, several Dusks behind him. Marluxia lowered me so I was standing on the ground but still unable to move. I glared at the Dusks, remembering how annoying their overwhelming numbers got to be in the games, though I didn't hate them as much as the constant amount of Heartless to be found. The only Heartless I would ever like would be Chester and that was a fact.

The hooded figure motioned towards me, causing the Dusks to quickly take the place of the suddenly absent vines. "Now, I'll take her to Xemnas," he said causing me to slightly giggle. He looked at me, as did Marluxia, with an air of annoyance and confusion. "And what, do you find so funny about that?"

I managed to stop giggling and looked at them with the most serious expression I could muster up. "Nothing, nothing either of you would find amusing at least," I said, though I had a strong suspicion that Marluxia and several other members of the Organization would find it amusing, at least, if I told them the fan discovered anagram for Xemnas.

Marluxia looked at me with a suspicious, yet curious, glance as the hooded figure turned away to continue talking. "Anyway… I'll take her to Xemnas and you go tell the others she's been captured," the figure said.

Marluxia glared as the figure motioned, making the Dusks push me forward as I struggled. "Why should I listen to you? I'm the one that captured her," Marluxia said as he used his vines to grab and drag me back over to himself.

"Mmmm!" I exclaimed as the vines lifted the Dusks, whom were struggling to get out of them, a very strange feeling indeed, and I into the air.

"Marluxia, as your superior, I order you to put her down, so I can to her to Xemnas, this instance!" the figure said, starting to sound annoyed with his pink haired co-worker.

It suddenly clicked which member of the Organization the hooded figure was as he spoke of seniority. "Mmm-mm?" I said through the vines.

Marluxia and the hooded figure looked up at me as the vines receeded from my mouth. "What was that?" Marluxia asked with an annoyed tone and expression.

"I… I was just wondering… you're… you're Vexen… right?" I asked with a slightly meek ton from the annoyance Marluxia was showing.

The figure lowered his hood with a smirk. "Very good child, you obviously know a great mind when you see one," he said with a prideful tone.

"Or she knows an arrogant geezer when she sees one," Marluxia said with a smirk.

Vexen glared at Marluxia as an icicle appeared in his gloved hand. "I'd watch my mouth if I were you number eleven. I am your superior and should be treated as such," Vexen said as I observed the icicle melt from the warmth of his hand.

Marluxia rolled his eyes as he lowered me onto the ground and removed the vines just long enough for the Dusks to escape. He then made it so the vines were wrapped and tied, tightly, around my upper torso before using his scythe to cut the excess vines off. I squirmed, hoping to get out of the vines, as he pushed me forward. "As the one who captured her, I say we just take her to our current base and for from there," he said as he forced me past Vexen.

"We were ordered to bring her straight to Xemnas once she was obtained!" Vexen exclaimed as he made the ground slick with ice.

"Ahhh!" I cried out as I suddenly went flying from the combination of an icy ground, me struggling, and Marluxia pushing me. I slid forward and stumbled, attempting to keep my balance, as the path of ice ended. "Ow…" I groaned as I finally tumbled to the ground.

"Oh my…" Vexen murmured as he and Marluxia made their way over to me, careful to not slip themselves. "Are you alright?"

"I'm not sure… I think so though," I said as Marluxia lifted me up. He turned me around and slightly winced as he looked at me. "What?"

"Your nose… it looks like it broke when you landed," Marluxia sighed as he pulled out a vile of green goop. "Now… hold still and drink this."

I coughed as I was force-fed the substance. It was obviously a potion but I'd never thought they'd possibly taste that vile. It was like an extremely tart cough-syrup that had been mixed with an excessive amount of mint and had the texture of yogurt. I attempted to swallow the horrid concoction but it would cooperate so I began trying to spit it out. Marluxia and Vexen quickly made it so I was looking up and my mouth was completely shut, a position that made it so if I attempted to spit it out I'd end up with it dribbling down my face and, possibly, into my hair. After a good two-five minutes I finally managed to gulp it down. I gasped for air as Vexen and Marluxia let go of me with relieved expressions. "Good God!" Vexen cried out at I felt my nose begin to tingle slightly.

"She's more difficult than Demyx with medication!" Marluxia exclaimed with disbelief.

I glared at the two men as my nose became extremely warm and moved, seemingly, on its own into the position it was supposed to be in. I coughed as I attempted to remove the taste from my mouth. "Never again…" I muttered as Marluxia began pushing me toward the portal he'd just made. "Let go!" I yelled as he gave up on pushing and lifted me up, throwing me over his shoulder as he did so. "Put me down!" I yelled angrily as I struggled.

I looked at Vexen with a pleading expression as Marluxia walked through the portal. I then looked around as I left the darkness and saw that we were in my school's gym. "Is that her?" someone asked as Marluxia set me against the closed bleachers.

I struggled as I looked around to see which Organization member had spoken. It seemed that none of the members were wearing their hoods up at the moment and the one that had asked the question made it quite difficult to stop myself from going into fangirl mode. "Yes Axel, that's her," Marluxia said.

I tried to hide my excitement as Axel and several other members looked towards me. "She looks different from that picture in her yearbook," someone muttered.

My eyes widened slightly while the feeling of a blush appeared as I realized the reason Marluxia had been able to identify me so easily. The whole Organization must've seen my freshman yearbook, the one with my worst school photo ever. I looked down in an attempt to hide my blush as a couple of the member walked towards me. "So you're the kid that knows what's going on?"

I looked up and saw Xigbar staring down at me with a mildly curious expression. I looked at him with confusion as he waited for my answer. Did they think I knew why they were there because, if they did, they were wrong. "Well um… no… not really," I said quietly.

"What, you don't know what's going on or you're not the kid we're looking for?" Xigbar questioned.

"I-I don't know?" I said, though it came out as more of a question than a statement. "I'm not completely sure who you're looking for."

"Marissa Johnson, age sixteen, grade ten, fifth period algebra one."

I looked and saw Saix looking at me with a board expression. "Creepy stalker much?" I muttered under my breath, earning a glare from him, before responding to Xigbar's question. "Yes… that would be me. But I honestly don't know what's going on!"

"But she does know our fates and how they come to be," Vexen said as he joined the conversation.

**(Okay... I guess I should get this out of the way now, I don't own Kingdom Hearts or any of the characters in it, though it'd be awesome if I did! Ah... piece of advice. Don't drink potions unless you have too, I have a feeling they taste disgusting :/ Don't put a character through that if you don't have to. Gah! My freshman year picture really does suck big time TT-TT But anyway... more to come soon! And, yes, Saix is a creepy stalker that should not be trusted 7.7 Take no offense, please! I really do love every member in the Organization! It's just fun to poke fun at them! Like in anouther story I have written but not typed, Axel calls Saix _Moon Pie_ and _Sailor Moon!_ I mean no offense to anyone and if you don't know the anagram for Xemnas go look it up! It's so overdone by this point but I find it really funny and had to include it somehow! Hope you enjoyed the story!)**


	3. Chapter 3

"Wow… you people seriously have no lives…"

Everyone, including me, began looking around and soon spotted my friend Cassie. She quickly disappeared before any of could really react. "Okay then…" I said with a slight sigh as I wondered how Cassie had gotten in and teleported out.

I quickly shrugged it off though as I realized that much stranger things had happened already, reminding myself that it wasn't out of the ordinary for Cassie to give me a bad time about my videogame obsession. The fourteen members, Xion included, look at me with confusion before shrugging it off as well. "So you know what's going to happen to us?"

I looked up and had to stop myself from squealing like the pathetic fangirl I was, and still am for that matter. Demyx was looking at me with a curious expression. "Yea… I do…" I said, not wanting to think about their departures.

"What happens to me?" Axel asked eagerly. "I get my heart first, don't I?"

"Don't be absurd number eight, Superior Xemnas will get his first," Saix said, as it were the most obvious answer in the world.

"Kiss ass," I muttered under my breath with a slight smirk.

Several of the members looked to be holding back chuckles while Axel began laughing hysterically as Saix looked to be restraining himself from killing me. I smiled up at Saix with the most innocent expression I could muster up. His glare only intensified as I began to try to struggle out of the vines. "Oops…" Axel said with a bit of panic as he clapped his hands, from laughing so hard which caused a flame to catch on the vines wrapped around me.

I began freaking out as the flame spread. I quickly began trying to blow the flame out, though this only caused it to spread. "Dance water! Dance!"

"Ahhh!" I screamed as Demyx sent a huge wave of water at me. The wave sent me sliding along the gym floor and into the wall. "Ow…"

I glared at Axel as he and Demyx looked at me apologetically. Why did it seem my favorite characters all had it out for me? First Marluxia and Vexen, now Demyx and Axel, most likely Saix as well. Maybe I should've thought favorites through more carefully. "You okay?" Axel as he rubbed the back of his head with an, almost, embarrassed expression.

"Aside from tied up with vines, almost burned, being soaked to the bone, and slammed against a wall?" I muttered quietly enough that only I heard it befor speaking loudly enough for the others to hear me. "Yea… I suppose so… can I please go to the locker room and change my clothes though?"

"Untie her and take her to the locker room. Luxord, Xaldin, and Xigbar should all be in there playing cards," Saix said with a slight nod as I noticed that Xigbar had left the both the conversation and room.

I cried out with fear, shutting my eyes tightly, as Vexen suddenly lunged at me with a, very sharp, icicle. I opened my eyes after a few minutes and noticed that the vines had been sliced and were now on the floor. "Oh…" I said quietly, suddenly feeling really stupid.

Before I could do anything else I was roughly pulled up by my arm. I looked and saw that Vexen was pulling me towards to girls locker room. I blinked with surprise as I stumbled behind him. We soon reached the door and he pushed me in. "Luxord! Xaldin! Xigbar! The child is in here to change into some dry clothing, make sure she doesn't escape!" he shouted before shutting the door.

I stood there for a few seconds with a confused expression before walking towards my gym locker, leaving a puddle behind. I soon spotted the three men playing, what looked like, poker for milks from the cafeteria. I shook my head with a slight sigh before suddenly realizing something. They'd been told to make sure I didn't escape and that required watching me. How was I supposed to change while they were watching me? Luxord looked over at me with a slight smirk trace of a smirk, obviously having realized this too. I glared at him, attempting to hide the blush that was creeping onto my face. As much as I liked him and the other Organization members in the game I wasn't going to strip down or change in front of them. "Well get on with it," Luxord urged. "You'll catch a cold in those wet clothes."

"I'm not changing in front of you three," I said before quickly adding, "or anyone else for that matter!"

"Well you don't have much of a choice," Luxord pointed out with an amused smirk. "We were told to make sure you don't escape and that entails keeping an eye on you. So you either stay in those cold, wet clothes or change while we do what we were instructed to do."

I glared at him as I went to my locker and grabbed my current gym shirt and the extra pair of genes I kept in it for the occasions I needed a change of pants and such. I realized the shirt was one of my Kingdom Hearts shirt that had Sora with his awakening station from Kingdom Hearts 2 behind him. I attempted to hold in my laughter as I wondered what would be thought of it by the members. Then I quickly ran into the nearest bathroom stall and locked the door to it. "Oi! Come on out, we need to make sure you don't leave!" Luxord yelled.

"You can see my feet!" I yelled with an annoyed tone.

"Not good enough!" Luxord shouted back.

"Just leave the kid alone ya perv," Xigbar said with a slight chuckle. "It's your turn anyway."

I sighed as I pulled off my shirt and quickly put the other off before quickly doing the same with my pants, slightly put off by the fact that my undergarments would have to be left soaked while I wore them. I left the stall and put the soaked clothing into the locker before pulling out my makeup bag, hair brush, and towel for when I took showers after the class. I walked over to the mirror and began drying my hair with the towel. "Oi! You were told you could change your clothes! Not that you could redo your whole look! And what the hell's on that shirt! It looks like keyblade wielder kid and his friends!"

"It is," I said as I finished drying my hair and began wiping the ruined makeup off of it. "And I'm not going around looking as awful as that… that… swimming lesson I suppose covers it, made me look."

It wasn't that my looks were my first priority, I just didn't like the idea of being in front of the characters I constantly fan-girled over with mascara running down my face and my hair looking like… well like I'd just taken a shower and managed to get bed head while taking the shower. I quickly brushed my hair making the pink highlights in it stand out more than it had that morning. "Oh man! Her hair's like the hair the poor kid of Marluxia and Larxene would have if they had one!" Xigbar said with laugh, referring to the natural blond part of my hair.

I glared at Xigbar as Luxord and Xaldin both looked at me and started laughing. "I thought you weren't supposed to have emotions," I said with an annoyed tone, not bothering to mention that I disagreed with that.

"Memory of a purely hysterical moment?" Luxord offered as he regained control of himself.

I glared at the three Nobodies before, haughtily, turning back around to redo my makeup. "Why'd you all choose the girl's locker room anyway?" I muttered with an annoyed tone.

"Smelled better than the dudes locker room," Xigbar said with a serious tone causing me to bite my lip from laughing, that was the reason we got when we asked why we would us the girls locker room during a lockdown in P.E., not that that class had even been going on when this one had started.

Once finished I turned back around to put the stuff back into my locker but noticed that Luxord, Xigbar, and Xaldin were all looking at me with board expressions. Xaldin glanced at the clock in the room before sighing and tossing a milk at Luxord and muttering, "damn," under his breath.

Xigbar tossed two chocolate milks to Luxord with unhappy expression on his face. Luxord smirked as he caught the three milks, quickly opening and drinking one of the chocolates. I looked at them with shock as I realized what was going on. "You three are seriously board enough that you'd bet on how long it took me to fix my makeup?" I asked.

"Yea, pretty much," Xigbar said with a slight shrug.

I glared at Xigbar before stopping, realizing that I was glaring a lot lately. Luxord tossed me one of the milks, catching me by enough surprise that I almost didn't catch it. "For making me right," he said as I rolled my eyes and threw it back at him.

I grinned, attempting not to laugh, as it his head and burst open, slightly covering him in the dairy product. "For being an annoying perv," I said with a smirk of my own.

Luxord glared as he got up and grabbed some paper towels to wipe the milk off himself. I smiled innocently as he began mopping it from his hair. I quickly sat where he'd been, moved his hand, and grabbed my own. "You know how to play?" Xaldin questioned as Luxord sat where I'd moved his hand to.

"Depends… what're we playing?" I responded as I looked at my hand.

Lots of hearts… that figured. "Poker," Xigbar said as I looked at the cards with reluctance. "Ya know how to play?"

"No, not really…" I answered honestly. "But I can learn along the way I guess."

The three men all smirked at each other and nodded. "Okay, first thing you've got to do is bet all you've got," Luxord said as he pushed all of his milk and a bit of actual munny to the middle. I stared in wonder as the munny shimmered while Xaldin did the same with their milks and a bit of munny of their own, Xigbar adding a few potions in as well. I reached into my pocket and pulled a five dollar bill out and added it along with the few milks I'd been given to bet. "What's that?" Xigbar asked with a confused expression.

"It's money, just the kind you use here," I answered as I put it in.

Luxord, Xaldin, and Xigbar all put their cards down. "Ha!" Xaldin said happily as her began pulling everything towards himself.

"Wait, what do you have kid?" Xigbar asked. I showed him my hand and his jaw dropped. "Holy crap… she has a royal flush…"

"No bloody way!" Luxord yelled as Xalding pushed everything back with an annoyed tone. "Holy hell… she did."

"So… I won?" I asked with a hopeful tone.

"Yea…" Xigbar said as pushed everything towards me.

"Awesome!" I said with a grin before opening and drinking one of the chocolate milks.

Luxord continued to look at my hand with shock as Xalding and Xigbar stood up to leave while I put the money, munny, and potions into my pockets, not really wanting to carry a crap load of milks around with me, before standing up to also leave. Luxord quickly pulled me back down though. "Now wait just a bloody minute!" he exclaimed. "I want a rematch!"

"I don't want to play more poker though," I said with an impatient tone, not really caring about what Saix thought about how long I was taking.

"Fine, you pick the game, but I want a rematch!" Luxord said adamantly as Xaldin and Xigbar left the room with almost amused expression.

"Fine… I'll give you all the stuff I won if you win but it I win… you have to let me try to escape and give a five minute head start!" I said, hoping Luxord would go for the idea.

It wasn't that I didn't want to meet the Organization and hang out with them, I really did, I just didn't want it to be under these circumstances. Luxord smirked as he seemed to think the conditions over before nodding. "Sure, why not?" he said with a smirk. "What's the game?"

"Go fish," I grinned as he rolled his eyes.

"Child's play," he scoffed before looking smug. "But it'll be my win no matter what we play."

"Whatever you say," I said with a shrug while Luxord shuffled the cards. I got my hand and smirked. "Got any tens?" I asked.

**(Gah! Sorry it took so long to update. I'm sick with mono and I misplaced the notebook with the story in it for almost two weeks so I truely sorry it took me this long to update! I'm also really sorry about how stupid this chapter is, it's not the best in the story but hopefully it'll make you laugh :D Yes, a couple of my freinds really do say, in a joking way, that I and Shawn have no lives for being a obsessed with these video games as we are and I really do have pink highlights in my blond hair which is why someday I plan on being the love child of Marluxia and Larxene for Halloween XD I also really do own the Kingdom Hearts shirt described in this chapter and anouther with the Kingdom Herarts 2 cover on it :D Oh, BTW, Re:Coded is awesome so far despite the fact I'm stuck in Olympus... I finally beat cload then I got jumped by this stupid disk bug thing that killed me D: Well anyway... I'll try to update soon but I gotta go do homework for now! See ya! Please review if you can!)**


	4. Chapter 4

"Go fish," Luxord said with a smirk.

I glared as I pulled my card from the stack. "Sweet!" I exclaimed as I laid my newly acquired set of tens in front of him. "My turn again!"

"Damnit!" Luxord said with an annoyed expression.

"Any sixes?"

"Bloody hell…"

Luxord grumbled as he handed over his six over. After about twenty or so minutes I emptied my my hand, making the final score seven to five. "Yes! I won!" I yelled happily as I preformed a fist pump.

Luxord glared before beginning to smirk at me. "Well you better hurry then. You only have four and a half minutes before I go to tell everyone that you've escaped. Oh, look at that, only four minutes now!"

My eyes widened as I quickly ran out of the locker room. "Holy shit…" I said quietly as I saw all the Heartless monsters running around. I quickly began running, dodging, and swerving around all the Heartless. "Ahhh!" I cried as a Neoshadow appeared out of nowhere and advanced upon me. A large amount of shadows quickly began to encircle me. "Th-this isn't as cool as the game made it out to be…" I whimpered quietly, finding it difficult to keep myself from crying.

I collapsed onto the ground under a pile of shadows. What a way to go… being killed by the training mode monsters. I felt my senses beginning to dull as the sound of someone yelling and a sword slashing through the air before finding myself being pulled out of the pile. I looked at my savior as found myself looking at Cloud Strife and Zack Fair. "Hey, you okay?" Zack asked with a worried expression as he kept me from tumbling over.

I looked at them with shock. "Oh my gosh…" I whispered before silently gulping a large breath of air. "Y-yea… I think so. Thanks so much! This is so cool!"

Cloud looked more than surprised as quickly hugged the two of them while Zack grinned. "No need for thanks," Zack said with a friendly smile. "All in a day's work for a couple of heros in training!"

Cloud slightly rolled his eyes as he chuckled while I attempted not to wince from the knowledge I had about their fates. "Anyway," I said as I forced a smile, letting go of them as I did so. "Thanks for saving me! Anything I can do to help you guys out?"

"Have you seen…" Cloud began before being cut off by Zack.

"Anyplace you'd like to go out with me tonight?" Zack asked with smile.

I immediately turned beet red as I looked down in an attempt to hide the ever-so-obvious blush. I then remember something very important. Zack tended to ask out almost every girl he met on a date. I looked back up at him with the most sympathetic smile I could manage. "I don't think we'd work out… sorry," I said, forcing myself to turn down one of the coolest guys I'd ever had the pleasure of playing as.

"Come on! Just as friends! For all you know we could either end up the best of friends or perfect for each other!" Zack exclaimed as Cloud began hitting the Heartless that were attempting to attack us.

"Um…" I said as attempted to figure out an excuse that the over-flirtatious hero-to-be would take. I knew that Zack was a super nice guy from the games he'd been in but getting involved with a videogame character didn't sound like the wisest idea to me. "I can't…" I said finally. "I'm… I'm busy at the moment."

"With?" Zack questioned. "Maybe Cloud and I can help! Oh! I'm Zack by the way!"

"I can't really help with anything right now!" Cloud countered, sounding slightly annoyed. "Maybe you could help me out here Zack?"

"One sec Cloud," Zack said with a laugh as he pulled out the Buster Sword. "So what do you need help with… hey, what's your name?"

"Marissa," I said. "What I need help with… um… it's…" A dark portal suddenly appeared in between Zack, Cloud, and me. "W-with this…"

"There you are," Zexion said as he and Lexaus stepped out of the portal.

I began backing away with fear on my face as I realized just how large and menacing Lexaus was. As much as I may have said I wouldn't have minded being held hostage by Organization thirteen like Kiari had been I was starting to find that most of the stuff in Kingdom Hearts wasn't as cool in real life as it was in the games. It was still cool, just a lot scarier as well. "Let go!" I yelled as Zexion caught hold of my wrist.

I attempted to pull away before feeling someone pull my other arm from behind. I heard a light groan sound, most likely from me, as I fell into whoever was pulling on my arm. I looked and saw Zack standing behind me before he pushed me behind himself. "You two have some sort of problem with Marissa?" he asked.

"Nothing that concerns you," Zexion said with a slight wave of his hand, though I knew deep down it really did concern Zack and Cloud.

Before Zack could even respond I was grabbed from behind. "Mmmph!" I exclaimed with a surprise as I struggled.

I looked up as Zack looked back with worry and Cloud suddenly stopped fighting Heartless. Cloud got in a defensive position as I felt my body tense up from the fear that was now coursing throughout my body. Instead of an Organization member I saw a certain Final Fantasy seven character I had really been hoping I wouldn't have to deal with. "Sephiroth…" Cloud said as I began to truly panic.

This was the guy who kept being killed but always seemed come back some way or another. It was damn annoying in the difficult to defeat but the ideas of it happening in real life was just terrifying to me. "Cloud," Sephiroth said, almost smirking at my futile attempts to escape from his grasp.

"Let her go Sephiroth," Cloud said as he and Zack gripped their swords in preparation for a fight while I suddenly noticed that Zexion and Lexaus were no longer there.

Sephiroth slightly chuckled, obviously not planning on just complying with the demands he'd just be given. An idea suddenly popped into my mind. It was very doubtful that it would actually have any chance of working. I slowed my breathing slightly in order to make my plan more likely to work. I quickly managed to get my mouth uncovered before looking around for a few seconds. I gasped suddenly before speaking. "I-Is that Jenova!" I asked with mock shock, causing Cloud, Zack, and Sephiroth to all look around with surprise.

"Mother?" Sephiroth asked, loosening his grip on me just enough for me to slip out of it and begin running away.

My mind raced as the shock of my plan actually working sunk in. I'd figured that they'd all look at me like I was the most retarded person in the world for thinking the idea would have any chance what-so-ever of succeeding. I looked around as I stopped running, surprised that, not only were there no Heartless around but also that I was at the front of the school. I sighed and leaned against the front doors, feeling exceedingly frazzled and confused. "Hello there."

I jumped with surprise from the sudden appearance of Luxord. I looked at him with a frustrated expression. "Leave me alone!" I exclaimed, beginning to feel frantic.

"Sorry, but you've already used your get of jail free card," Luxord said with an amused smirk.

"Y-yea… well… you just lost the game! So there!" I said, hoping that would distract Luxord for at least a second or two.

"Damn it! Not again!" Luxord yelled, looking exceedingly annoyed.

I took the distraction for what it was worth and ran through the front door and then the next. I quickly ran towards the school's office, hoping it would provide a temporary hiding spot. "Well, well! Nice of you to join us Marissa!" someone said as they clapped.

I looked around and suddenly spotted Axel standing not all that far away from me. I stared with fear before beginning to back away, though I was quickly grabbed from behind by someone who'd jumped down from the railing of the ramp that led to the library and cafeteria. I gasped as I struggled to escape from whoever had me at the moment. I caught a quick glimpse of who it was as I struggled. "Sorry Roxas…" I said, feeling guilty as I elbowed him in the stomach.

Roxas gasped as he released me, momentarily stunned by the shock of it. I quickly began running, only to find a wall of fire suddenly in front of me. I skidded to a halt and began running the other way, soon finding a wall of water, that was rushing fast enough that I would've been thrust into the ceiling if I tried to get through it, blocking that way too. I slowly backed from the two walls they started closing in. "I got her!" Roxas exclaimed as he grabbed me again.

The walls suddenly disappeared, letting Axel and Demyx walk towards us while I began struggling again. "Let go!" I yelled angrily.

"Hey!" Roxas exclaimed as I managed to hit him in the jaw with my shoulder. He looked at Axel and Demyx with a pleading expression as I continued to struggle with all my might. "Could I get some help over here?"

"Let go!" I screamed as Axel and Demyx both grabbed one of my arms and lifted me off the ground. "H-hey!"

I struggled to be put down but it seemed to be having no affect on Demyx and Axel as the carried me towards another dark portal that had suddenly appeared. "Hey… why'd she stop?" Demyx asked as he and Axel looked at me with curiosity from the lack of struggle I'd suddenly started showing.

I looked at the portal with fear as I saw Heartless beginning to crawl out of it, most likely having gotten in through another on the outside. "Huh, I guess you'll get to see a good Heartless battle," Axel said with a slight smirk as he and Demyx set me down.

I attempted to make a run for it, only for four walls of water to surround and trap me. "Hey!" I yelled as I banged on the walls, surprised at how sturdy they were for structures made of water.

**((Woo! I finally got around to actually typing this up! And the beauty of it? I got to add new stuff again as I typed it up from the notebook XD I've finished the first part in one notebook and just barely started the other in a new on but it will most likely all be one story on her :P Believe me, I'm enjoying the new part so much since I finally have some new area to be in it. My school is very small and that's where most all of this part takes place so it's kind of hard to do things without expanding the school mentally, which I do later on. But other than that... don't be mad for me trying to trick Sephiroth that way XD My friend, Shawn, said that he'd never fall for it and such. My response? "It's fiction Shawn! And fiction with my sense of stupid humor at that!" Ah, good times XD I'm thinking of stating to type my other KH fic, but I think I'll wait until this one's done :P The other has a lot more of my stupid humor with cuter humor in it as well XD It's total crack most of the time, but oh-so fun crack! Well... either way... hope you enjoyed this chapter :D Also... sorry for taking so long to update D: Oh and this chapter is dedicated to my grandma who passed just the other day. May she rest in peace and be reunited with her late husband(my grandpa who I never got to meet) and late oldest son (my uncle who died May of last year) soon.))**


	5. Chapter 5

I struggled to be put down but it seemed to be having no affect on Demyx and Axel as the carried me towards another dark portal that had suddenly appeared. "Hey… why'd she stop?" Demyx asked as he and Axel looked at me with curiosity from the lack of struggle I'd suddenly started showing.

I looked at the portal with fear as I saw Heartless beginning to crawl out of it, most likely having gotten in through another on the outside. "Huh, I guess you'll get to see a good Heartless battle," Axel said with a slight smirk as he and Demyx set me down.

I attempted to make a run for it only for four walls of water to surround and trap me. "Hey!  
I yelled as I banged on the walls, surprised at how sturdy they were for structures made of water. "Let me out of here!"

I was ignored as Demyx crushed one of the Heartless, Axel burnt a few of them alive, and Roxas keyblade through one Some of the black blood hit one of the clear water walls and ran down before spreading out towards the middle. I pushed my hand against where the blood had spread, curious to what would've caused it. I grinned as my hand went through the wall. A flawed area was just what I need to escape. It was nearly as solid or thick as the rest of the wall and it was a good sized section too. I took a deep breath before backing up and tumbling through the wall. I stood up, surprisingly dry, as Demyx defeated the last Heartless. "Hey!" he exclaimed in surprise as I dashed past him, Axel, and Roxas.

"Yes!" I exclaimed happily as I reached the home economics room and managed to open the door.

I looked around as I shut and blocked the door with a couple of piles of chairs. The room was completely empty aside from the stoves, fridge, and tables. I jumped away in surprise as the door started being pushed open. "Blocking the door? Do you really think that'll keep us out?" Axel asked with a chuckle.

I looked around in a panic as Axel spoke. Relief filled me as I spotted a metal door on the floor. It must've been one of the entrances to the underground tunnels between the high school and elementary school I'd heard about. A means of escape. I quickly ran over and pried it open as fast as I could. "Hey there," someone said from behind me.

I looked back as a small cry of panic left me. Demyx and Axel were standing on both sides of me and looking down at me with amused smirks. I wondered briefly where Roxas has gone off to before jumping down the entrance. "Not so fast," Axel said, quickly grabbing and pulling me back up.

"N-no! Let go!" I yelled, struggling with all my might. "I was so close…"

"But yet so far," Axel mocked as I attempted to get out of his grasp.

A grunt left Axel as I managed to elbow him in the neck. He gasped and accidentally dropped me. I landed with a thud and began crawling away. "Yes…" I said, feeling slightly safer before feeling the ground underneath me become unbearably hot. "A-ow!"

"Come back and I'll stop," Axel said, his voice sounding hoarse and annoyed.

"N-no!" I cried, gritting my teeth and trying to crawl again. "Ow!"

I screamed with pain as I felt my hands being scalded while the rest of my body felt the intensity of the heat building around me. It was completely unbearable and I knew I'd only hurt myself further if I continued to try to escape this way. "Will you come out?" Axel asked smugly.

"Y-yes!" I cried out, unable to tolerate the pain the heat was causing me.

"Good," Axel said as he took his hands away from the metal. The heat melted away almost instantly. "Now come out of there.""O-okay…" I said, my hands and legs still searing with pain as I crawled out. "Drink this."

I looked and saw that Axel was holding a potion out for me. I quickly shook my head as the memory of the taste suddenly filled my mouth. "Tha-that's okay…" I said quietly, attempting to ignore the pain I was feeling.

"I don't blame you," Demyx admitted, looking a little sick as he looked at the vile in Axel's hand. "They taste horrible."

"Well you still need to drink it," Axel said, opening the vile and forcing me to drink it.

I coughed as the green goop slid down my throat, feeling absolutely sickened from the taste of it. "N-no more!" I begged as the taste worsened.

Axel rolled his eyes while Demyx looked at me with a sympathetic expression as my hands and legs began to tingle, slowly feeling better. I quickly ran over to the sink and began trying to wash away the taste with tap water. As I drank, the two liquids began mixing together to make a horrid mixture in my stomach that had me rushing to the nearest garbage pail and wishing I would just throw up. "You okay?" Demyx asked with an almost concerned tone to his voice.

I groaned in response, wrapping my arms around my stomach as I stood up. Axel walked over and grabbed my upper arm. He quickly conjured a portal and began pulling me towards it. I struggled and yelled at Axel to let me go as Demyx walked through the portal. "Let go!" I yelled, stepping on his foot.

I suddenly saw Zack running past the window with Cloud and few others close behind him. The door that led outside suddenly swung open from Zack's attempt at kicking it down. Axel grunted as I brought my knee up and swiftly managed to hit his stomach. I took my opportunity and slipped out of his grasp and ran behind Zack and Cloud. "Hey Marissa!" Zack grinned.

"Hi Zack…" I said, attempting to sound happy to see him, though I was still wary of his invitation of going out on a date.

I looked back and my eyes immediately widened as I began trying to cover the image on my T-shirt. Now standing in front of me were Sora, Donald Duck, Goofy, and Jiminy Cricket. "Well, well! The almighty Keybearer is here too!" Axel said as Demyx peaked out of the portal.

"Jeez… we're not gonna have to fight them are we?" Demyx asked with hesitation.

"No!" I said quickly, causing everyone to look confusedly at me. "No fighting…"

"And why not?" Sora asked. "They're the bad guys!"

"Yea! We gotta fight them!" Donald exclaime.

"Gwarsh… do we really HAVE to fight them?" Goofy asked, seeing the worry on my face.

"No! No fighting!" I said with a pleading expression.

"Well we won't have anything to fight about if you'd just come with us," Axel said, Demyx nodding in agreement.

"Not going to happen!" Zack said as he and Cloud blocked me while pointing their swords at Axel and Demyx.

I looked at the two organization members with contemplation on my face. After a few moments I sighed, deciding to give up and go with them. I pushed past Zack and Cloud, making my way over to my fate. "Hey!" Sora said, grabbing my hand. "Submitting to their demands won't solve anything!"

I pulled my hand away from him and weakly smiled. "It will make it so I don't have to run anymore while stopping a fight as well," I said.

"But giving up in the face of danger isn't how a hero should act!" Zack said, wearing a put off expression from my choice.

"But is it really better to stay and fight if you can stop the fight and keep others from getting hurt in the process?" I asked.

Zack looked at me as he seemingly contemplated my words. I pushed past him and walked out to where Axel and Demyx were waiting. Axel smirked while Demyx pulled me through. "Hey!" I shouted as I was suddenly flung into the air. I struggled angrily as I spotted Marluxia smirked up at me while the vines I was trapped in swayed slightly. "Let me out of these!"

"I think not, you're becoming quite the nuisance. You know that?" Marluxia said, appearing to be quit amused with how I was under his mercy.

"Hey! Flower power boy! She'd already given up!" Axel yelled, also looking slightly amused at my situation. "Too bad too, I was really looking forward to getting to fight the keybearer too."

"He's here too?" Marluxia asked, looking almost excited.

"Yep, some of his friends too," Demyx said with a slight shrug as I spotted a heartless creeping up behind the three men.

I opened my mouth to warn them but Marluxia made the vines cover my mouth. "No more talking from you," Marluxia said with a smirk.

"Mmm-mmm mmm-mmm mmm!" I yelled, attempting to cuss Marluxia out right as the heartless attacked Axel.

"Ow!" Axel exclaimed as it ran past him and towards me. "Burn you little fu… oops…" Axel said he accidentally hit the vines constricting me with the fire he had been aiming at the heartless.

I screamed, suddenly being thrown around from Marluxia making the vines sway about violently in an attempt to put out the flames. Another scream left me as I suddenly went flying, having slipped out of the vines. "Oof!"

"Ow…" someone groaned as I blinked and looked around.

I had flown through another portal and run into someone in the hallway. I looked up and saw a boy. He had bluish green eyes and white hair. "Riku?" I asked curiously as he blinked.


	6. Chapter 6

****"How do you know my name?" Riku asked as I stood up.

I froze, unsure of how I might be able to get out of the predicament I had just caused for myself. It wasn't like I was just going to out and say, "Well you see, you're from this really freaking awesome video game!"

"Oh… well… you see…" I said, attempting to find a way to escape. "I… um… gotta go!"

I quickly began running away and somehow lost Riku. I sighed and began trying to catch my breath. "Die!"

I quickly jumped back as someone raced past me. I looked and saw a walker hit an all too familiar person. "Shawn? Sephiroth!" I exclaimed as Shawn raced past me again, his walker going at top speed. "What the hell!"

"Moogle store upgrades for the win!" Shawn exclaimed ad I noticed the rockets that were newly attached to his walker.

"Try as you may, simple upgrades to your vehicle won't save you!" Sephiroth shouted as one of my friends, Nathan, suddenly appeared and began walking past us.

"Wow Shawn… seriously? No life what-so-ever," Nathan said, disappearing as he walked.

I looked with confusion before being grabbed and used as a human shield by Sephiroth. "Ow! Shawn! Quit throwing those!" I yelled, being pelted with weights from the weight room that were aimed for Sephiroth.

"Whoops… sorry!" Shawn said as he finally stopped throwing the weights and glared at Sephiroth.

I winced as Sephiroth smirked and pushed me slightly forward, pointing his sword towards Shawn. "As I was saying…" he said before being interrupted.

"Sephiroth!"

I looked and grinned as I spotted Cloud and Zack running towards us with their swords at the ready. Both of them skidded to a halt as they spotted me and Shawn zoomed over to them. "Shit… this is too cool!" Shawn exclaimed excitedly.

"Isn't it?" I said with a slight grin before returning to the situation at hand. "Though… this particular moment isn't all that cool…"

Cloud, Zack, and Sephiroth all looked at us with confusion before returning to their glaring contest, or smirking contest in Sephiroth's case. "Let go of her Sephiroth!" Could said through gritted teeth while Zack clenched his sword.

"Mine!"

I looked with surprise as Daniel, another one of my friends, came running down the hall and leapt for Zack's buster sword. "What the…" Shawn muttered just before Zack easily stepped away, causing Daniel to land flat on his face.

"Ow…" Daniel muttered, sitting up and looking at Sephiroth with shock. "I'm gonna need a sword."

I blinked with surprise as Merlin suddenly appeared. "Somebody needs something?" he asked.

"Yes! The three of us all need something to fight with!" Shawn said, gesturing to himself, Daniel, and I, all the while our three Final Fantasy companions were looking at us with complete and utter confusion. "Fusion sword for me please! Some sort of Buster sword for him since he just tried to steal that one and something light for her since she can't lift worth shit!"

"Hey!" I exclaimed, slightly offended.

"It's true and you know it! You couldn't even make it through a semester of Total Fitness!" Shawn said.

"True…" I muttered as everything Shawn had requested suddenly appeared.

A Buster Sword was in Daniel's hand and Fusion Sword in Shawn's hand. In mine was a blue keyblade with white puffs going all along it. The handle looking like the sun easily melded with my hand to make for easy grip. All in all it reminded me of a sunny day with some clouds floating by in the day's light. That's when it clicked. "I get it!" I said, trying not to laugh as the handle of my keyblade glowed a bit. "Light!"

"Thanks for the help!" Daniel said and he looked over his new sword.

"No trouble at all! Glad to help!" Merlin said before disappearing.

Cloud blinked before facing Sephiroth and I again. "Let go of her Sephiroth!" he said as Zack nodded with agreement.

"Hey! How about you stop telling him to let her go and actually do something about it!" Shawn yelled as he pulled the Fusion Sword apart.

Zack grinned at Shawn before nodding and facing Sephiroth. "I like your style!" I looked at Zack with worry as he winked at me. "Don't worry, everything's going to be fine! We still have our date later after all!"

All four of the boys started running down the hall towards us and Sephiroth quickly threw me against a wall as he blocked Zack's attack. "Ow…" I muttered as I stood up and joined in on the fray,

My keyblade seemed to move naturally, almost on its own as I blocked all attacks directed at me and even managed to hit Sephiroth a few times. A slight gasp left my mouth as I was sent flying from the impact of Sephiroth hitting me. I felt my body and head hit a wall with a massive amount of force that left me stunned for a few seconds. I reached for my side and soon found that the side of my shirt was already stained with blood. "You okay?" Cloud called as I pulled out a mega potion.

"I hope so…" I muttered before shouting back, "Yea! I should be fine!"

I winced from yelling as I began started to feel light headed. I quickly poured the green goop into my mouth and managed to swallow it before passing out.

I let myself relax as I fell through complete darkness. "No use in panicking… you'll hit whatever's waiting for you eventually. Might as well do it calmly," I mumbled as I closed my eyes.

"Don't give up yet," a masculine voice said as my body flipped into a standing position.

"Who's there?" I asked as I looked around the darkness while holding my shirt down.

I began noticing a considerable change in speed. "All you need to do is keep going and never give up. Choose your friends and strengths."

I continued to look around with a tired expression before feeling my feet gently land on something solid that was, seemingly, filling me with energy. I looked at the ground with confusion and saw a large image of me with images of my friends strewn about it. One circle held my friend from California, Alyssa. Another held an image of my friend from middle school, Taylor. Then there was group of circles all bunched together with the faces of some of my most recent friends in them. Cassie, Nathan, Shawn, Sabrina, and Cassie's brother Zach. "Am I dead?" I asked quietly before noticing three podiums in the distance.

"No, not dead. Just preparing," the voice explained.

"For?" I asked.

"For when you stop dreaming and act on the dreams."

"What are you talking about? Who are you anyway?"

"Just a little helping hand for you. As for why, your friends need your help out there."

"But everything out there is from a fictional video game!" I said, feeling extremely frustrated.

"But it's still out there all the same and real," the voice responded. I blinked and after a few minutes I nodded my head to show that I gave up and would just go along with it at this point, no matter how unbelievable it was. "Now, go and choose your two strengths."


	7. Chapter 7

I walked over to one of the podiums and picked up the book that was lying on it. "A book?" I asked, looking at it incredulously. "I get a book?"

"It's the power of knowledge. It will help you hold the wit and quick thinking needed for surviving in the world that faces you."

"Okay…" I said, nodding as I opened it and felt a bit of the books' power filling me.

It was an amazing feeling. It was as though all the answers were just being placed in front of me. And they were all so simple. It was amazing that I'd never thought of them before. But as soon as I shut the book they vanished. I couldn't recall a single one of them.

Setting the book down, I walked over to the next podium and picked up the silver chain lying on it. Attached to the chain was a beautiful heart shaped jewel. "A necklace?"

"It's the power of courage. With it you'll be able to conquer any fears that stand between you and you goals."

"But can't fear be helpful sometimes? Aside from holding you back at times, it makes you cautious about walking into situations that could be potentially dangerous."

"You'll still feel a bit of fear. But the courage within the jewel will help you push past it and continue on with your journey."

I nodded and set the necklace down, going to the last podium. I picked it up. A small ring with a heart on it, weather it was glass or an actual diamond I wasn't sure. It was gorges. And the power it held was tremendous. Just sitting in my hand, it was leaking it energy and power into my very being. I couldn't even imagine what it felt like to actually wear it. "That is the power of heart. With it you'll never feel the urge to betray or give up on anything. All darkness within you will be gone. You'll find troubles to be non-existent on your upcoming journey."

I quickly set the ring back down and looked at it with a longing expression. That ring… it was so tempting. It would make the whole experience so much easier. But it was too much power. I couldn't handle that type of power being within me. I wouldn't allow myself to take it.

And the necklace. It was a tempting offer as well. To be able to push past the fear I would be facing so much more easily… it would be amazing but I couldn't let myself have it either. I needed to conquer my fears on my own. Not with the help of a necklace.

Then there was the book. It would solve everything, wouldn't it? It would give me the answers as I needed them. But wouldn't that be sort of cheating? It was like a giant book of cheat codes for my life. I didn't want that. Well… I did WANT it, but I wasn't going to give into the want.

Maybe I was being slightly prideful by not allowing myself to take any of the help. I was definitely being stupid for it. But it was I felt was right. And that was what was most important to me in the situation. Hopefully it didn't end up being my downfall.

"I'm not taking any of them," I said finally.

"Really?" the voice asked, its tone sounding surprised yet slightly impressed. "You're sure about this decision?"

"Positive."

"Well then… all that's left is for you to choose something from the podiums behind you then."

I looked back and saw that there were three new podiums. One held a sword. The next one held a staff. And the third held a shield. Strength, magic, and protection. It was just like the beginning of the first game. Or was it? "Are they the same?" I asked, looking up even though there was nothing but darkness to be seen.

"Exactly the same," the voice responded.

"So… I'm going to have to get through more podiums and… and fight that… that... that _thing_?"

"Yes."

"And if I can't defeat it?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"You'll have to find that out for yourself."

Tears began filling my eyes as what the voice had told me sunk it. "B-but… what if I die? I'm not ready for this type of thing! I'm not ready to die! This is real life! Not a video game! If I die then I really die! There aren't any second chances when it comes to life and death in this world! There aren't any restart buttons! I have so many things I still want to experience! I haven't had the chance to really live yet! I'm not ready for this!" I screamed, all the fear I was feeling bubbling out of me.

Fear had filled every inch of my body and tears were rolling down my face. I was beginning to really wish I'd grabbed the necklace when I'd had the chance. So much was happening and none of it made any sense whatsoever.

"The fear you're facing about everything you're going to have to face, use it to your advantage. Let it help you make the right decisions."

I glared into the darkness as the tears continued to cascade down my face. That was easy for some disembodied voice to say. It wasn't going to have to face the life and death situation I was. "Well… what if I refuse to go?"

"Then you'll just stay here."

I blinked before looking down. I was going to have to do this weather I wanted to or not. Just sitting here forever would get me nowhere. I'd have to try at the very least.

I quickly wiped the tears out of my eyes and nodded. "Okay… so I have to pick one of these?" I asked quietly.

"Yes," the voice said, its calm tone somehow helping to sooth me.

I looked at the sword, staff, and shield. Immediately I went for the shield, wanting the protection that it would provide me with. I stepped back as the shield faded into my grasp. "You can now continue," the voice said, a door now appearing.

I nodded and opened the door, doing my best to ignore the fear that still filled me. I stepped through and saw that there were four podiums I'd have to travel up. I looked down and saw that the floor bore the image of two friends I'd made on this journey thus far. "Zack… Cloud…" I murmured, staring at the glass.

I slowly made my way up to the next podium and saw an image of fourteen figures, all of them wearing black, hooded cloaks. The ones I'd personally met had their hoods down. "Organization thirteen."

Making my way up to the third podium I summoned my keyblade. It felt strange and foreign though, as if it belonged to somebody else's possession. "What… what if I'm not meant to do this? What if this is someone else's job?"

"Don't doubt yourself. Believe you can achieve it and you will."

"And you're absolutely sure about that?"

"Yes."

"Okay then…"

The third podium was black, as though I hadn't met who was supposed to be on it yet. It was like a canvas that had yet to be painted on. And then I was at the fourth podium. On it was the image of Sora with circles that bore the images of Riku, Kiari, Goofy, and Donald.

I lightly smiled before noticing my shadow take the form of a Heartless and begin standing up in front of me. I jumped back, staring in fear as it grew to an enormous size. My throat was going dry. "P-please don't let me die…" I whispered as the only way off of the podium, aside from falling, disappeared.

The Heartless stepped towards me, causing me to quickly begin backing away. I gasped, finding myself at the edge of the podium and almost falling off. I was suddenly lifted off of the ground, trapped in the Heartless's grasp. I began struggling; doing everything I could think of to be released from its enormous hand.

"Let go of me!" I shouted, relinquishing the keyblade from my hold and managing to get my arms above my head.

I quickly summoned the keyblade and brought it down onto the hand that was holding me. The big yellow eyes that were looking at me seemed to hold a sense of pain in them. I looked and saw that my keyblade was lodged deep in the hand. I winced, a steady flow of black liquid seeping from the wound and beginning to cover me.

I pulled the keyblade out, this causing the bleeding to increase as the Heartless dropped me. I began hitting its chest as I fell towards the ground. A strange sound suddenly emitted from it, as though it crying out in pain.

It reached out its uninjured hand for me, attempting to smash me into the ground. Squeezing my eyes shut, I found myself crashing into the ground and gasping for air, barely hanging onto the thread of life that was still within me. So I was going to die. This was how it was going to end for me. Well, at least I'd tried.

The heartless stared down at me, seemingly waiting for me to do something. But I was too weak to do anything. I couldn't move at all, my body was broken and giving out from the force of the fall. My breathing was shaky and shallow. My entire being was in pain. I was so close to death.

The Heartless brought its hand up, looking as though it was going to bring it down to crush me. I shut my eyes and waited. But nothing but a cool, goopy, liquid ever hit me. A horrifying sound filled my ears. I opened my eyes and saw that my arms had moved on their own and stabbed the hand as it had come towards me.

My keyblade had gone clean through the Heartless's hand. The Heartless continued its cries of pain and lifted it hand, my grip slipping as it did so, and backed away. Before I could even react it had toppled off of the podium.

I blinked, the keyblade reappearing in my hands. Had I really managed to survive the entire experience. "H-how-"

Before I could say anything more I found myself falling as well, quickly losing consciousness along the way.


End file.
